燕昭好马 — “King Zhao of Yan's love for horses”
燕昭好马 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to a ruler's or leader's eagerness to attract and value talented individuals, using all means to seek out and employ them”. Literally, “King Zhao of Yan's love for horses”.
燕昭好马 Pronunciation and Pinyin
燕昭好马 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 燕昭好马
Origin and Story of 燕昭好马
During the Warring States period, after King Zhao of Yan ascended to the throne, he was eager to strengthen his kingdom by recruiting talented individuals. Guo Wei used a horse analogy to advise him.
He recounted a story about an ancient king who offered a thousand gold pieces to buy a swift horse. After three years, he found only a dead horse. The king's attendant bought the dead horse's bones for five hundred gold pieces. Unexpectedly, within a year, three swift horses were brought to the king.
Guo Wei used this story to suggest that if King Zhao could sincerely seek out and value worthy individuals, talented people would hear of his sincerity and come to him from far and wide.
Idioms Related to 燕昭好马
Synonyms of 燕昭好马
More idioms starting with 燕
- yàn燕lǚ侣yīng莺chóu俦A pair of young lovers
- yàn燕chóu俦yīng莺lǚ侣young lovers or female companions
- yàn燕zhuó啄huáng皇sūn孙treacherous plot to harm royal heir
- yàn燕chǔ处wēi危cháo巢in an extremely perilous situation
- yàn燕chǔ处fén焚cháo巢in an extremely dangerous situation
- yàn燕dù妒yīng莺cán惭swallows envy, orioles feel ashamed
- yàn燕wǎn婉zhī之huān欢joyful, harmonious marital affection
- yàn燕zǐ子xián衔shí食parents' selfless toil raising children
- yàn燕ān安dān酖dú毒indulging in comfort is like drinking poison
- yàn燕ān安zhèn鸩dú毒indulging in comfort is like drinking poison
- yàn燕ěr尔xīn新hūn婚newlywed bliss
- yān燕dài岱zhī之shí石mediocre talent or low quality
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Open the tool →Questions about 燕昭好马
What does 燕昭好马 mean?
燕昭好马 (yān zhāo hǎo mǎ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to a ruler's or leader's eagerness to attract and value talented individuals, using all means to seek out and employ them”.
How do you pronounce 燕昭好马?
燕昭好马 is pronounced yān zhāo hǎo mǎ in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 燕昭好马 literally mean?
Literally, 燕昭好马 means “King Zhao of Yan's love for horses”. It is used to mean “refers to a ruler's or leader's eagerness to attract and value talented individuals, using all means to seek out and employ them”.
Where does 燕昭好马 come from?
燕昭好马 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 燕昭好马?
燕昭王喜爱骏马。后作求贤之典。